** If you are applying for the Fast Track 48 hours service, we strongly recommend that you send your application using the Royal Mail Next Day 9-AM Guaranteed Delivery as we need to receive your complete visa application before 11 AM to be able to submit it to the Chinese consulate on the same day.

NB: In accordance with the reciprocal agreement between China and the UK, from 2016 all tourist & business visas issued to UK nationals have 2-years validity and are multiple-entry (for stays of up to 90 days at each entry, up to 180 days in any 12 months). Single/double-entry visas are now only issued for special purposes such as sporting/cultural/academic visits, in exceptional cases, and to non-UK nationals (information updated on the 21st of February 2018).

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IT'S EASY TO APPLY, JUST FOLLOW THESE STEPS:

Step 1: Print, complete (by hand or by typing) and sign the following three forms:

1. Chinese Visa Application Form.
NB: if you hold a UK passport and applying for a tourist or business visa, please state "2-year multi-entry" in the "Other" section of the box 2.2. Please ensure that the date format on the form is written as "Year - Month - Day".

Print and sign this form, this is a mandatory form required by the Chinese Consulate.

Step 2: Once the forms are completed, please make sure that you also send the following:

• PASSPORT and a photocopy of your passport's information page. The passport must have at least two blank pages and be valid.

• A PASSPORT PHOTOGRAPH glued to your application form. The photo should be printed on a photographic paper, approximately 33mm by 48mm in size and should be taken against a light background (white or off-white), with your full face, without sunglasses, a hat or other head covering, unless the applicant wears such items because of their religious belief or ethnic background. The space between the crown and the upper edge of the photo should be between 3mm and 5mm. The space between the chin and the bottom edge of the photo should be around 7mm.

• FOR TOURIST (L) VISAS - 1) If you are staying in hotels or airbnb, you need to send us a copy of your inbound / outbound flights and accommodation bookings with your name shown on them. 2) If you are staying in private accommodation, you need to send us a letter of invitation from your host in China (this should be a signed letter from a resident in China and can be a scanned copy sent by email). The invitation should contain: Your full name, gender, date of birth, intended entry/exit dates to/from China. Your purpose of visit and intended destinations in China, means of financial support while in China, for example "myself", "my company" etc. Your relationship to the inviter, the inviter's full name, passport or ID number, address and telephone number. A copy of both sides of your inviter's Chinese ID card (if the inviter is a Chinese citizen), and a copy of your inviter's passport and Chinese visa (if the inviter is not a Chinese citizen). If you are providing a letter of invitation, you do not have to send us your flight/accommodation booking.

• FOR BUSINESS (M) VISAS - a letter from a Chinese company / organisation with the official stamp (referred to us "chop") and the inviter's signature. The invitation should include the following: a) Your full name, your gender and date of birth. b) Your intended entry and exit dates to China. c) Your purpose of visit and intended destination(s) in China. d) Your means of financial support while in China, for example "credit card", "myself, own funds", e) Your relationship to the inviting organisation. f) The invitation should be made on the inviting organisation's letterhead containing its name, address, and telephone number. The invitation letter must also specify number of entries and duration of visa required. For the business visa, you do NOT need to provide flight / accommodation bookings.

• FOR WORK (Z) VISAS - a copy of the work permit from your Chinese employer. The earliest you can apply for a Z visa is 3 months prior to your entry to China.

• PRE-PAID SPECIAL DELIVERY return addressed envelope available from the post office. NB: Pre-franked and pre-dated envelopes are not accepted by the Post Office on return. If you are sending more than one visa application and the visas / passports are to be sent back to the same address, you can send all applications in one envelope and provide one envelope for returning your documents to you.

Step 3: Please Also Read Carefully Before Sending Your Application:

• If you were born outside the UK, EU, USA, Canada, South Africa, South America, Russia, India, Australia, or NZ please contact us before applying.

• Any applicant under the age of 7 must provide the original of their birth certificate and copies of both parents passports. • Any children under the age of 16 not applying with a parent must have written permission/consent for their travel from both parents. • Any applicants under the age of 18 must have the Visa Application form signed by one of their parents in Parts 4 and 5. In Part 4 the parent must state the following wording:
"On behalf of + the child's name".

• Please bear in mind that the Chinese Consulate does not refund the fees should you cancel or change your application or trip details. Therefore, please make sure that the type and the validity dates of the visa you request will cover your trip.

• Please note that the Chinese Consulate may invite any applicant for an interview. This is extremely rare but the potential is there. If you decide to cancel your application after it has been submitted for processing, your application will be returned unprocessed and you will be charged the full fee.

• If you have previously held a Chinese passport and this is your first ever Chinese visa application, please contact us before applying.

• Anyone whose occupation is ‘journalist’ or in the media should contact the Chinese Consulate directly regarding their application.

• We are unable to process your application if you are planning on travelling to Tibet and/or Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

• Please note that the above visa processing times are based on us receiving your complete application before 11 AM on a business day. All processing times are based on and include working days only. Please also note that we are not affiliated with the Chinese governmental bodies - the acceptance of your visa application, the granting of the visa, its type and its terms are always at the sole discretion of the Chinese Consulate, and a visa of reduced validity may be provided to cover the necessary time in China, at the consulates discretion and depending on supporting documents provided on application.

Step 4: Payment.

Payment should be made by the time we receive your application. Payment can be made by cheque or postal order made payable to Travel Direct (UK) Ltd., by a bank transfer, or on-line (below). If you are paying by cheque, 1-2 extra working days will be added to the processing times to allow the cheque clearance. When paying on-line using your bank card please state your payment transaction ID on the "Chinese Visa Order form" (you will receive the Worldpay transaction ID by email after completing the payment) . When paying by a bank transfer (including the internet banking transfers and BACS payments) please state the applicant's surname as reference.

FINAL STEP

Make sure all is ready and completed above then send your application to...

Travel Direct (UK) Ltd

CBC House

24 Canning street

Edinburgh

EH3 8EG

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT...

Once we receive your application, we start working on it immediately. Our aim is to lodge your application to the Chinese consulate for processing as early as possible (both the Chinese consulate and the Chinese visa processing centre in Edinburgh are a short walking distance from us). Before submitting your application, we will check your forms and other documents, and if we spot any problems we will contact you immediately by phone and/or by email. Once your visa is issued, we will send you an email confirming that the passport/visa is on the way to you. When you receive the visa please check the details, and contact us if you have any questions, we will be happy to help with your queries.